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Pica Rica.

Central Texas smoke, Mexico City soul. We made noise before the doors opened.

Pica Rica Americana Barbecue blackletter logo on a dark patterned background

Client

Pica Rica BBQ, The McHenry Group

Location

St. George, Utah

Services

Brand management, social, print, merch, website, local SEO

Smoke level

Show

01 / The brief

BBQ. Not because it's tired. Because it's timeless.

The McHenry Group paired Chef Tyler Stokes with restaurateur Jason Neeley on a new concept: Central Texas barbecue married to Mexico City. Tortillas straight off the comal. A walk past the briskets on the way to your table.

The food had a point of view. Our job was to make everything around it feel the same way, from the billboard to the bandanna.

02 / The kitBrand management, every surface
Pica Rica Americana Barbecue primary logo

Tattoo parlor meets taqueria.

  1. Blackletter for the name.
  2. Brewery caps for the shouting.
  3. The rose for the heart.
  4. Neon for after dark.
Secondary marks: the rose, a round Americana Barbecue badge and the STG PR monogramTypefaces: Beckett Kanzlei, American Brewery and Helvetica NeueNeon Smoke Show sign in orange script

Smoke

#3E3633

Bone

#EDE5D3

Rose

#A52019

Tango

#E08E2A

Neon

#FF5A3C

Colors as they run in the work.

welcome to the

Smoke Show

03 / Before the doors openedComing soon, pop-ups, merch drops, RSVP

Hungry people first. Then a restaurant.

A restaurant that opens to an empty room has to win everyone one plate at a time. So the launch started months early, with a handle, a billboard and a hat.

Billboard reading @PicaRicaBBQ coming soon with roses, cacti and a sugar skull in a capOpening something? Let's build the line first. ↗

Step 1 / Coming soon: the billboard sold the handle before it sold a plate

Step 2 / Pop-ups and merch drops

Taste it early. Wear it home.

Pop-ups in St. George and Salt Lake put the food in front of people before the dining room existed. Every pop-up came with a merch drop, packaged in three sizes.

Drop 1

The starter

Hatx1Cooziex1Stickersx1

Drop 2

The regular

Hatx1Teex1Cooziex1Stickersx1Bandannax1

Drop 3

The pitmaster

Hatx1Teex1Hoodiex1Bandannax1Cooziex1Stickersx1Box matchesx1

Grand opening RSVP flyer with a neon Smoke Show headline and a QR codeInstagram story asking who's ready for some Pica Rica

Step 3 / The RSVP

Scan to RSVP.

The grand opening was built around an RSVP list, not a hope. Print, posts and stories all pointed at one QR code.

04 / SocialThe pitmasters are the content
Planned Instagram grid of pitmasters, brisket, tacos and smoke

A monthly calendar built around real people and real smoke: the pitmasters, the brisket, the fire. No stock, no styled studio plates.

November 2022

+100

new followers in a month when the opening date slipped and we'd run out of fresh food to post. The hype held.

Three planned posts: brisket on the grill, a pitmaster in a Pica Rica tee, a tray of tacos and sides
Make noise before you open. ↗

Brand, social, print and merch that give people a reason to line up on day one.

Next project

Arkade →